While there are a variety of movies coming out soon that have the internet going crazy – Avengers: Endgame, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc. – there are also plenty coming out that are both starring and directed by women. Between portraying the complexities of femininity and showing women in roles typically played by men, here are some movies being released this summer that you should definitely be excited about.
Booksmart – May 24. This teen movie centers around two best friends who spent high school focusing on their grades instead of their social life and decide to cram in as much fun and partying as they can before graduation. For fans of Superbad, the trailer for this film seems to be giving off some pretty similar vibes and executes them hilariously. Starring Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, this movie not only looks like a witty story of friendship and wild memories but also marks the directorial debut of Olivia Wilde.
Ma – May 31. From the company that brought us Get Out, Insidious, and The Purge comes a new horror movie that is sure to be a hit. This film stars Octavia Spencer as Ma, a woman who allows a group of teenagers to use her basement as a party zone as long as they follow some mysterious house rules. As the teens spend more time at her house, her obsession with them begins to grow and become dangerous. While horror movies with an obsessive antagonist are not uncommon, this is one of the few times that a woman plays this role, and it will be interesting to see how her villain will develop.
Dark Phoenix – June 7. This next installment in the X-Men franchise tells the story of Jean Grey as she struggles to cope with her strengthening powers, losing control as her fellow mutants must try to put a stop to her dangerous power. Starring Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, this movie is set to be darker and more emotional than previous X-Men movies as it focuses on Jean’s personal journey as she transforms into the Dark Phoenix.
Late Night – June 7. Starring Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling and directed by Nisha Ganatra, this movie tells the story of a late-night talk show host (Thompson) facing the threat of getting cancelled who hires her first female staff writer (Kaling), and the two form a bond over how to turn around the show. Aside from the relationship between the female leads, this movie also shows two women trying to succeed in male-dominated career fields.
The Kitchen – August 9. This movie follows the lives of three women married to New York’s top gangsters in the 1970s. When their husbands wind up in prison, the women decide to take business into their own hands and become tangled up in the mob. Starring Tiffany Haddish, Melissa McCarthy and Elisabeth Moss, this female-dominated crime drama directed by Andrea Berloff shows the many layers of women, especially the clever and assertive sides.
Although these films may not be receiving as much hype as others coming out this summer, they are sure to be great representations of female leads and directors, so be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming hits!